Political Dynasties and their Implications in the Philippine Politics

Jovey Ann B. Flores

January 20, 2022

In retrospect, the Philippines gained a political structure that may be traced back to the
pre-Hispanic era. The politics of the time was based on a hierarchical structure, with the dates at
the top and the slaves at the bottom of the hierarchy (Philippine Consulate General, 2014). First and
foremost, the concept of political dynasties developed during Spanish colonization (Limos, 2019). A
political dynasty is a group of related persons and holds positions in the government, such as a
family (Dal Bo et al., 2007). They were just a simple group of gobernadorcillos and principalias in
every community. They were the ones who would conduct forced labor among their people, and
those who opposed them would, of course, consider a much more unjustified form of punishment
such as abuse and extortion, which is what happened in the Philippines after World War II (Limos,
2019). For far too long, the existence of these political dynasties in Philippine politics, and
particularly in a democratic system, has been viewed as a purely coincidental consequence of the
chaotic distribution and unfair relocation of rights and privileges, with the only ones who benefit
being those who are members of this particular group (Mosca, 1986 on Dal Bo et al., 2007). Specific
clans have benefited from and are inheriting the monarchy as a result of the acts that were
promulgated during the Spanish period (Michels, 1999 on Dal Bo et al., 2007). Because of this, the
single clan began to diversify. As a result, it gave rise to not only the Marcoses but also to other
types of families eager to claim the power bestowed upon Philippine politics, such as the Aquinos
and Dutertes, among others (Kenny, 2020). With the introduction of the concept of these families,
instead of enabling the country to go through a period of holistic development, they continue to
stomp on democracy and deprive the Filipinos of the opportunity for a better life (Kenny, 2020).
With pluralism theory, which is a strategy for investigating political acts performed by a group of
specific people and studying the interaction between people in other states, we may better
understand the relationship between people in different forms (Coker, 1921).

We will be able to assess the purpose and goals of political dynasties, their relationship
with the people, and how the state as a whole is affected by the strengths and weaknesses of each
dynasty. Political dynasties built a reputation for themselves that was favorable to the general
public. Then again, various questions lie in terms of this notion. These are as follows: what is
the impact of Political Dynasties in the Philippines? What is the connection of Pluralism to
this predicament? and What can be done to fully eradicate this predicament? Still, their
continued existence has prevented the Philippines from developing, causing the general
public to suffer from inequality and other difficulties.

With the advent of the clans that wanted to be in the following line of the monarch,
priorities got disregarded and dispersed. The upshot of the never-ending existence of political
dynasties only contributed to the advent effect of poverty, inequality, graft, and corruption
(Punongbayan, 2018). Consider the situation of the pork barrel. Officials utilized this pork barrel to
create projects that shall benefit the majority. This was coined and recognized as a balancing
account created for the Filipino people to solve their predicaments. However, most politicians use
this money to fund their campaigns during elections (Punongbayan, 2018). Hence, all the funds
were allocated to the wrong places. The rise of poverty continues to escalate, including the
inequality for the opportunities that are not satisfied by the majority. This is also the result of the
fight towards a better existence. Then, the growth of dynasties became evident, and it only caters to
one thing—the elite class. Another case is the ascension of the Marcoses from the power that led to
the establishment of Martial Law that bugged a lot of lives, violated human rights, and looted the
Philippine money. (Tadem, 2013). The Dutertes, on the other hand, abused human rights with their
traditional patterns. In contrast, the Aquinos developed the people's power to acquire the faith of
the Filipino people with their democracy advocacy that led to the plight of corruption (Tadem,
2013). Political dynasties are already a set of patterns starting from the authoritarian origins to the
heed for democracy (Kenny, 2020). The reason why pluralism is relevant in this circumstance is
that it caters to the group of people who the state members are favoring. Usually, political dynasties
are encircled with their fans, styling themselves as DDS for the Dutertes, BBM supporters for the
Marcoses, and Dilawan for the supporters of the Aquinos (Tadem, 2013). Since pluralism is the
theory that applies to more than one office occupies, it is vital to comprehend the nature of political
dynasties using this theory. As for the strength of this notion, pluralism is imposed upon by
diversity. Political dynasties consisted of persons with varied convictions. Hence, there is a slight
potential that some of the issues of these people will be tied to the requirements of the Filipino
people. However, such diversity can also be the root cause of the weakness because if these people
continue to consider a consistent conviction and ideas that are just confined to them, then it has no
chance that they care about the Filipino people at all (Coker, 1921). Hence, the notion is that these
people continue to establish and propagate a canon of laws aimed for their benefit and no one else,
leaving the rest to suffer and experience numerous predicaments. The existence of dynasties only
prohibits people from living a life of peace and instead gives them predicaments that they did not
ask for in the first place.

Over several decades, political dynasties have been tolerated and accepted as a sort of
normalcy in Philippine politics, even though it is damaging to its progress. People have been so
enmeshed in the notions of false premises and hoax stories created to facilitate the emergence of
dynasties that they have lost sight of reality. To understand the nature of political dynasties, the
goal and purpose of pluralism are to trace the connection between this theory and other theories.
The problem is that every idea has its shortcomings. While pluralism aims to explain why political
dynasties continue to be one of the most destructive social tumors in society, they also deprive and
impede progress in that nation's development. The goal of pluralism is to recognize that, while
variety might be the root cause of change, it can also be the primary reason for the passage of a
legislative act. So the only thing left is the irony and dilemma of choosing a greater goal for the
people and wishing them well in their endeavors. Inequality exists because of dynasties;
democracies are not adequately exercised because of leaders who continue to desire more; and
while the goal of pluralism is to create a place for both citizens and leaders, nothing will ever be at
peace as long as the latter is comprised of power-hungry officials who are eager to rise to the top of
the food chain. The necessity to eliminate this group of power-hungry bureaucrats must be given
top priority. Thus, it will be necessary to view them as the root cause of the problem, which will be
implemented. As a result, the general public will understand that these individuals are not mainly
concerned with the majority but rather with each other. Instead of bringing each other down, they
use their abilities to help one further up.

A government's main objective is to protect the lives of its citizens and to provide them
with a brief period of serenity now and then, rather than to provide privileges and benefits to its
leaders. Indeed, political dynasties impede the nation's development, serving only to keep the state
afloat and deserving of nothing more. The necessity of considering reform for the benefit of all
people must be given top priority. To incorporate, the role of pluralism is to comprehend the means
of having both the state and the citizens in single sovereignty, as well as the steps that both parties
are ready to take to maintain their positions in the society. As a result, the concept of division is
established in terms of goals, purposes, and objectives. After all, pluralism is a paradigm that
conceptualizes the existence of two opposing political parties in the exact location. They can be
both damaging and beneficial depending on how they are used and appraised. However,
normalizing a line of predecessors to lead the nation in a democratic state is nothing more than a
red flag in a democratic state. Officials must ensure that the needs of their citizenry are met rather
than using the authority that they have gained for their gain. A long-time problem in the Philippines
has been the growth of political dynasties rather than their control, which must be resolved to
benefit all citizens. Every individual can attain the same opportunities if they are provided with an
environment that facilitates their acquisition of those opportunities. Political dynasties continue to
be and will continue to be the principal source of instability if they are not curbed.
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